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"content": "other things. We are now recognising and bringing them into the body fabric of the police force. This is very critical. Mr. Temporary Speaker, Sir, we do not want to see, after this Bill has been passed and assented to, that we have police reservists only limited to Arid and Semi-Arid Lands (ASAL) areas as it has been the case before. Even the so-called high potential or high density areas have such serious security challenges that it is necessary to have reservists because they live with the people. If they are empowered and trained, particularly, I want to emphasis, and at Committee Stage I hope the presenter of the Bill will look at the parameters of training: Train the reservists on the respect and observance of human rights; train them on the respect and the protection of private property; train them on the respect and sanctity of the woman in our society; that protect women, protect children; train them to understand that there is law and order and they have to respect the chain of command in the police force. Mr. Speaker, Sir, I want to see reservists in Kirinyaga, Bungoma and Kakamega doing a good job because according to the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP), Kenya is one of the least policed countries in the world. We do not have enough policemen in this country. That is why you find in the villages, two policemen are sent to go and arrest a gang of a hundred people. If they are already called a gang, how can two policemen arrest them? To add on that, the gang by its very nature is criminal, violent and perhaps capable of taking the law in their own hands and causing serious damage and maiming people. Then you send two policemen, with two guns, with 12 bullets in each. Even if they shoot all the bullets, how many can they kill out of a hundred? Mr. Temporary Speaker, Sir, that is why we must have spots of responsible law enforcement officers who will make sure that the population is safe, people work, they earn and enjoy what they have earned. Of course, not those who are eating chicken from London, because those are not earning. Mr. Temporary Speaker, Sir, this Bill wants us to train them and give them uniform. I agree to this and it should not be uniform that you give them one pair once and they wear it all through until it is tatters, before you remember there is a reservist in Bomet and you have to send another pair of uniform. They should be given decent uniform and as reservists, their uniform should distinguish them from the regular police so that people can know who they are dealing with, but they fall under the same command. Mr. Temporary Speaker, Sir, the Bill suggest they must be given firearms. Firearms must go hand in hand with infrastructure for firearms. These are armories and there is no point giving somebody two or three guns and bullets but you expect them to go and keep them in some grass-thatched hut where anybody can walk in and walk away with those arms. Mr. Temporary Speaker, Sir, the Bill provides for other facilities that may be necessary for the execution of the mandate of the reservists. What are these other facilities? I expect the sponsor of this Bill to ask that these reservists also have access to rudimentary means of transport. For example, the Government can afford to give each reservist in high density areas a tool like a motorbike so that they can maneuver very The electronic version of the Senate Hansard Report is for information purposes only. A certified version of this Report can be obtained from the Hansard Editor, Senate."
}